Legends and Tales and the Like
by LifeintheShelleyBoat
Summary: Moments where James and Lily slowly fall in love over their seven years at Hogwarts. Their journey into the great unknown.
1. First Year

**My contribution to Jily October! I was looking through the Jily tag and I felt selfish that I hadn't done anything special for it yet. So here it is! :) **

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine however much I want them to be**

* * *

**Home**

"James love! Hurry up or you are going to be late!"

"I'm here Mum, I'm ready… Merlin."

Mrs. Potter's scanned over her son's appearance. Going over a mental checklist in her head:

Trunk.

Owl.

Robes.

A satisfied smile graced her elegant face as she attempted to tidy her son's unruly hair.

Mr. Potter stood by the fireplace laughing lightly as his son rolled his eyes.

"Pip pip now! Both of you grab some floo powder."

Mrs. Potter deserted the impossible task and took and handful of grainy powder. She stepped into the fireplace, released the powder and was swallowed by the roaring emerald flames.

"I've always liked the colour of those flames", James pondered aloud while he messed up his hair, back to its true form.

Mr. Potter just smiled bemusedly at his son and together they stepped into the flames, James holding his trunk firmly with the knowledge that his exciting life at Hogwarts was mere moments away.

* * *

Lily Evans frantically brushed her teeth while throwing last minute necessities messily into her trunk.

She could feel her body buzzing with excitement. A journey to the great unknown her father had labelled it; her first step into a magical world.

As she gathered her things Petunia Evans knocked timidly on the door.

Things between the two sisters were off lately; once inseparable, a difference in their destinies had torn a rift between them both. The rift housing a myriad of emotions. Ranging from anger to awkwardness and from loneliness to fear.

"I can't see you off at the station so… um see you soon Lily"

Lily wanted to roll her eyes for the misuse of the verb 'can't'. Tuney could, of course, but she simply did not want to. And apparently that sufficed enough as an excuse for such a shallow goodbye.

But Lily Evans was kind and had a gift to understand people's emotions and reactions. So she walked over to the doorway and embraced her sister with a hug, inspiring a childish warmth to ensconce them both.

"Lily Evans you are late!"

The two sisters parted and shared a look that only they two could understand. A look that one sibling gives another when they share the same thought on the same thing.

Hauling all her things down the stairs, Lily told her sister goodbye and she received a more loving goodbye in return.

Lily felt anticipation ripple through her at the thought of the great unknown only one drive away.

Though there was a nagging doubt at the back of her mind that told her that Petunia's goodbye would be the last loving thing she would ever knowingly give to her beloved younger sister.

As they drove away Petunia almost wished she had gone with them.

Almost.

**The Hogwarts Express**

James' confidence wavered as he sat alone in an empty compartment.

He could still hear his Mum sobbing at how 'grown up' he is. Mothers he thought.

"What was that? You know the first sign of insanity is talking to yourself. " A boy of eleven stated. Mirth dancing in his grey eyes; catching the light like molten silver.

James grinned. A boy with a sense of humour, a friend James thought.

"James Potter. I've got a bag of sweets, an empty compartment and apparently I'm a nutter. Care to sit?"

Sirius grinned.

"Sirius Black. A damned shame to the Black family because I am not, as I like to put it, a blood-ist."

He sat down and both boys grinned, easily slipping into conversations about quidditch and other boyish things.

* * *

A loud crash and a girly squeal sounded just outside their door.

James hopped up, opened the door and couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped him at the sight in the corridor.

A girl of eleven had fallen on her knees in a rather peculiar position.

A tangle of auburn hair cascaded down her trunk, the contrast in colour quite shocking.

"I'm awfully glad _you _found it funny."

Lily Evans glared a little at the boy in front of her as she stood up and rightened herself and her things.

James Potter only laughed harder.

"Sorry" he said, his voice laced with contagious amusement.

The corners of her lips lifted slightly and a smile danced softly in her eyes.

James' grin faltered a little.

"What's going on?"

Sirius emerged from the compartment with a chocolate frog melting in his hand.

Lily smiled at the two boys and made her way around and away from them.

James reverted Sirius back to the topics of their earlier conversation easily distracting his new found friend.

His mind, however, remained occupied with the colour of her eyes. Emerald. Just like the colour of those flames that he's always liked.

* * *

Some time later, two other boys joined their compartment. Their names were Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

Their legendary friendship only just beginning.

**The review box will release an abundance of magical happiness... second year?**


	2. Second Year: Time

**AN: Hellooooo! Back with the second chapter- ok tbh I just wanted to write it and this was half-an-hour's work so really try not to judge. **

**Disclaimer: All character creds to Jo Ro **

* * *

**The Gryffindor Common Room**

Lily Evans was sat in the middle of the room, flipping aimlessly through a magazine.

It was near dinnertime and night had begun nursing the day to sleep.

She sat with her socked feet on the couch, knees bent to rest her edition of 'Witch Weekly' comfortably while she read.

Although she would never admit it, she loved scanning the pages. Not for the endless chain of celebrity gossip that made up the majority of the content, but to look at the pictures.

Raised as a muggle and only in her second year of Hogwarts- Lily Evans still found it fascinating that the pictures moved.

She'd tried to explain it to her sister the summer just gone, but Petunia simply rolled her eyes- a gesture Lily was quite getting used to.

But it was wonderful.

And frightening.

The photographs framed in elegant gold were alive. Women and men and children danced and laughed and Lily could see the light in their eyes when they did. It was so real and yet so alien.

Sometimes the foreignness of Hogwarts truly terrified her, but in the best way.

Of course, she would never tell anyone- how embarrassing to admit to someone that the reason you actually read through the pages of a History of Magic textbook is because the pictures take you back through time.

How embarrassing to tell anyone that pictures actually scared her, they wouldn't understand.

* * *

James Potter ran clumsily down the flight of stairs from his dorm into the common room, in a manner that suggested he was in a rush, but then again that was just James.

He had no time to dwell having been raised to believe that time was everything and too precious to waste by walking down stairs when you could run.

Although he slowed his pace when there was time to be well spent and worth the trade.

Lily Evans sat reading through some magazine or another, whatever it is girls do James thought.

But she really was worth slowing his pace.

Her hair was tinted with gold from the flickering flame of the fire. A halo of light bathing her in a soft glow.

* * *

"Hello Lily", smiled a twelve-year-old James Potter as he plopped down by her feet.

"Hi James" she replied.

"You scanning through that to ogle at the pictures again eh?" He smirked at her expression.

She looked surprised that he knew the reason behind her wild fascination with reading. Her eyes widened a little revealing more of their depth and soulfulness.

"I read for the words James"

Lily tried to mask her face into being truthful. How had he known? But she knew it was pointless- just like the way he knew her secret he could see through any façade she wore.

Odd wasn't it, that a boy she barely knew beyond his name and mischief could understand her so well.

He laughed, knowing full well he was right and she knew it too.

"I don't know why you're so embarrassed about it Lily, it's pretty cool. Though if you ask me, I find it all a bit scary myself- they just look so alive"

Lily smiled. He was so different, but so similar to her.

"Yeah, but they're pretty wonderful at the same time. Don't you think?"

James merely shrugged in return.

"I'm off to the Great Hall for dinner you coming or what?"

He got up and grinned, his feet waiting for her to answer and waiting to know whether to run or walk because honestly, she wouldn't keep up with him if he did leg it.

She stood up and walked briskly ahead of him.

He looked at her oddly. "Why are you walking so fast?"

"Well I'm pretty hungry, why waste time walking when you could run?"

* * *

They shared a look in silence for a short eternity and there was some kind of understanding there.

Indeed time was precious and they both knew it.

She was so different, but so similar to him.

But he had no time to dwell because of course the whole point was that time was of the essence and so he ran ahead of her.

"I'd have to agree with you there Lily", he shouted, racing in front of her and slowing his pace until they ran at equal speed.

Because yes time was precious and they both knew that.

But it was worth delaying it a little to be able to save it, together with her.

* * *

In the lull that was the first year and a half at Hogwarts Lily Evans and James Potter really got on quite well. And why shouldn't they have.

They were young and ignorant and pleasantly in awe of one another.

James found it rather amazing that she seemed to be one of the very few people worth slowing down for, worth that little extra trade of time.

Lily found it borderline creepy that he knew her so well, but it was rather amazing she thought.

You see they were still too young to have yet reached the level where they hated each other. In years to come they will fight and argue and curse each other with various hexes.

And time after that they'll both change. And they will realise that they were two missing pieces in some grand destiny and that they fit- perfectly and impossibly well.

Maybe James Potter knew that from the start and maybe, on some level, so did she, but in their sixth year they'll share a kiss.

So in the simplicity of their current second year lives, they raced each other with no thought for what was to come.

No thought for the amount ahead of them so they ran to meet their futures head on. They changed, together but oppositely and they ran a course of a life so dynamic they are remembered still. Forever.

But they couldn't have known that then now could they.

* * *

**Lord I am so sorry if that was terrible, but review and tell me how to make it better thank you dearest. **


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